ABSTRACT
The 13% of potential U.S. crop production represents a crop value lost to insect pests of ~$35 billion per year. In addition, nearly $2 billion in insecticides and miticides are applied each year for control. Ignoring other control costs, combined crop losses and pesticides thus total ~$37 billion per year.[3]
Total crop losses to insects and mites worldwide are estimated to be ~$400 billion per year. Given that >4.5 billion of the 7 billion people on earth are malnourished, this loss of food to insect and mite pests each year, despite the use of 3 billion kg of pesticides, is an enormous loss to society.
